Half to j



(ModeL) H. T. HAZARD.

MACHINE FOR DEPRIMING AND REPRIMING CARTRIDGE SHELLS.

Patented Apr. 8, 1884.

Viimascs.

41. WWI/64406.

Unrrn drarns Parnnr Orrrea.

HENRY T. HAZARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASfilGNOR OF ONF- HALF TO .I. F. PONDER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR DEPRHVHNG AND REPRIMING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,563, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed April 26, 1883. (Model) T0 (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY THOMAS HAZARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Los Angeles, and State of ialifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Depriming and Repriming Cartridge-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of implements which remove exploded caps or primers from gun-cartridge shells and replace them with fresh ones. The object of my invention is to accomplish this in a rapid and efficient manner, which I do by means of the mechanism herein described, and illustrated in the ac companying drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view of the machine, a part of the frame A being cut away to show the rear end of the interior. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stationary cap-reservoir I, cap-tube Q, with its spring Q and spring-jaws S S, having lugs 13 and 1, and the agitator J, with. its pin on and shoulder a. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line (1 (I, Fig. 4, showing the repriming-plunger advanced sufficiently far into the shell to push it against the cap-tube. Fig. 4. is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a view of the detachable reservoircap H, with teats a n. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the depriming and repriming plungers, and the shell-ejector F, and the depriming-pin D.

The apparatus has a frame, A, the opening or receiver R in which is large enough to receive and permit the free passage therein of the shells to be operated on, and sufficiently deep to chamber three shells one above another. This frame is clamped or firmly affixed to a table or other suitable support by the clamp G, having thumb-screw H.

Playing longitudinally through the opening in the frame are the depriming (D) and repriming (E) plungers and the shell-ejector F, which are rigidly affixed to the slide B,which works in a groove, 0, formed'in the side of the frame. This slide is operated longitudinally by the operating-lever G, which passes through the opening 1 in the lug on the slide 13. This lever is pivoted to the frame at the point Z, and is curved, as shown, so that its forward and back movement will operate the slide B horizontally. The handle of the lever is grasped and operated by the right hand, the left hand being free to feed the apparatus with exploded shells.

Rigidl y affixed to the front of the frame, and

projecting to the rear, is the repriming-anvil K. It faces the reprimingplunger E, and is directly in line with the center thereof, and is of the exact diameter of the primer. Immediately in front of this anvil, and between it and the plunger, is suspended a tube, Q, carrying primers, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,) the bottom end of which terminates so as to hold the bottommost primer directly in line with the center of the anvil and between it and the repriming-plunger E. The captube Q may be hung 011 a pivot; or it may be at tached to the reservoir I by the spring Q, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and l, the tendency of which is to remove the same from the anvil K, which it will do when the rcpriming-plunger retreats;

In operating the apparatus, as the lever O is. advanced the plunger E will enter the decapped shell and crowd it against the end of the cap-tube Q. The cap-tube is then forced against the anvil K. The anvil will pass through the cap-tube, and the bottommost primer will be transferred from the cap-tube into the primer-pocket in the shell. The plungers will retreat when the lever O is thrown back. The agitator J will by such movement be elevated, and its shoulder a will collide with and force the cap-tube off the anvil K, and return the same to its normal position, and an other primer will replace the one removed.

On each side of the cap-tube a spring, S, is mounted. (See Figs. 2.) Both these springs have on their free end lugs t and t, which project partly across the opening V in the captube. These lugs will hold the bottommost primer in place until the advance of the anvil has caused them to recede or open, as shown in Fig. 3, at which time the primer has moved forward, and its closed end has come in contact with the anvil, while the primer-pocket in the shell fronts it on the other side. The lugst t on the spring-jaws are beveled, so that when the tube Q is pushed forward against the be seated therein by the further advance movement of the repriming-plu'ngerE. The primers are fed to the cap-tubeQ from the cap-reservoir I, mounted above the same and emptying thereinto. The primers in the reservoir are prevented from clogging and are continually agitated by the vertical movement of the agitator J, which is operated vertically byits engagement with the operating-lever C by means of the'pin m, which is mounted on the agitator, and which projects out of the frame through the slot T, and passes through the slot T in the lower end of the lever. The upper end of the agitator terminates in the interior of the cap-reservoir I. The end of the agitator which projects into the cap-reservoir is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4, and

- the open passage-way for the same shown in Fig. 2, the cap-reservoir being cut away to show same. The apparatus being affixed to the table in the position as shown in Fig. 1, three shells are then deposited in the receiver It. The lever G is advanced by the right hand. The bottom shell is ej ected through the opening at L by the ejector F. The reprimingplunger E has moved into and crowded the middle shell against the cap-tube I, and forced it against and around the anvil K, the primer being transferred to the pocket of the shell. Meanwhile the depriming plunger D has moved into and crowded the topmost shell against the frame, and the depriming-pin D has passed through the touch-hole of the shell and removed the exploded primer therefrom, which passes out of the opening a: and runs down the trough n. The lever Ois now pushed back to its first position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the shells settle to the bottom of the frame, the reprimed shell being bottommost and the deprimed shell in line with the reprimingplunger, and a new shell, which is now placed in the receiver, is in line with the deprimingplunger From this point the operation just described is repeated.

In commencing to operate, first place a shell having an exploded primer in line with the depriming-plunger D and move thelever 0 forward. This will deprime this shell. Then place a shell in the receiver, and this deprimed shell above the same, and a shell having an exploded primer above the same. The advance of the lever will then deprime the top shell, reprinie the middle shell, and eject the bottom one, which can be returned to the receiver for depriming and repriming.

A convenient runway can be provided to feed the apparatus with shells by prolonging the apron U, and letting the same have a gentle incline toward the receiver, thereby saving the handling of each shell. The shells must be fed to the apparatus with the open ends fronting the plungers.

It will be found that the clamps G at the front of the apparatus will be subjected to great strain, owing to the great amount of power necessary to seat the primers in the pocket of the shell. To obviate this the slide B can be mounted near the pivot Z, and the clamp should project well back under the frame, as shown in Fig. 1.

The apparatus is provided with the detachable reservoir H, which is closed at its upper end. The other end is open, and is provided with teats or projections n n, that serve to hold the reservoir in place when mounted on. the

stationary reservoir I, as these teats will then project down into the reservoir, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4;. These projections also serve to hold the reservoir H in proper positionwhile being filled with primers, as follows The reservoir H is held in a horizontal position at the edge of the table, its lower side being level with the top of the table. The teats a a will then project along and rest on the table and hold the reservoir in position. The inside of the reservoir is thus brought in alignment with the top of the table on which the caps have been emptied, and the caps are then pushed along the top of the table into the reservoir with one hand, the other holding the reservoir.

That the primers may all be placed in the reservoir with their open ends facing one way, they are first emptied up on the table, and those falling open ends up are moved to one side, and those falling closed ends up are moved to the other side. v All the primers on one side are shoved into the reservoir. The reservoiris then turned over and the other lot shoved in.

Such novel features as are shown but not specifically claimed in this case are disclai med herein, for the reason that they constitute the subject-matter of claims in another application filed by me on the 11th day of August, 1883, and designated by Serial No. 103,508.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine for decapping and recapping cartridge shells, the combination of a frame provided with a clamp, a support adapt ed to sustain the head of shell without covering the cap thereon, and a fixed anvil, a slide moving in guides in said frame, and provided with a plunger having a projecting pin in line with the cartridge-support, a second plunger in line with the anvil, and an ejector below said plungcrs, a lever pivoted to the frame and serving to actuate the slide, and a reservoir, arranged substantially as shown and described, to deliver primers in front of the an- 'vil.

2. In a cartridge-capping implement, the combination of a frame provided with a stationary anvil to sustain the primer against the pressure of a shell moving over it, a yielding device, substantially such as described, for

holding the primer in front of said anvil, a I the slide and with the agitator, substantially plunger adapted to carry a cartridge-shell, and a lever for moving said plunger, whereby the shell may be forced toward the anvil and over the primer sustained thereby.

3. In a decapping and recapping implement, the combination of aframe, A, having a crosspieee to support a cartridge-head while being decapped, and a fixed anvil, K, movable captube Q, provided with spring-jaws S S, adapted and arranged to be separated by said anvil, slide 13, provided with decapping-plunger D, recapping-phinger E, and ejector F, and lever 0, connected with the slide B, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with frame A, adapted to contain three shells superposed one upon another, and provided with an outlet for spent caps, an anvil to sustain a fresh cap, and an outlet for recapped shells, a slide mounted and arranged to move within said frame, and can rying a decapping-plunger in line with the outlet for spent caps, a second plunger in line with the anvil and an ejector in line with the shell-outlet, all substantially as shown, whereby a single movement of the slide is caused to decap one shell, cap a second, and expel a third.

5. In a recapping implement, the combination of a fixed anvil, a swinging cap-tube, and beveled spring retaining-jaws at opposite sides of said tube, adapted to be pressed against and separated by the anvil through the pressure against them of the shell to be recapped.

6. In combination with frame A, having stationary anvil K, movable cap-tube Q, closed at its lower extremity, and provided with laterally-moving spring-jaws S S, beveled at their inner edges opposite the end of the anvil, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a decapping and recapping machine,

the combination of a fixed reservoir, I, and a detachable reservoir, H, provided with parallel teats or projections n 02, whereby the primers may be directed into the upper reservoir and the said reservoir secured to the lower swinging reservoir, substantially as described.

8. In a decapping and recapping implement, the combination of a frame, a cap-reservoir, a movable feed-tube communicating with said reservoir, a slide provided with plungers to effect the decapping and recapping of the shells, and an agitator independent of the feed-tube, actuated through the movement of said lever, and arranged, substantially as shown, to enter the reservoir and raise the caps therein, and then to retreat and permit the caps to fall, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a deeapping and recapping implement, the combination ,with a frame, and with a slide moving therein and carrying deeapping and recapping plungers, of a cap-reservoir, an agitator having its end arranged within said res ervoir, and an operating-lever connected with as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a repriming implement, the combination of a frame provided with a stationary anvil, a yielding device, substantially such as described, for holding a primer in front of said anvil, slide B, having plunger E, and lever 0, adapted to move said slide, substantially as shown.

11. In a repriming device substantially such as described, the combination of a frame provided with fixed anvil K, a movable captube, an agitator provided with beveled shoulder a, adapted, substantially as described, to force the tube back as the agitator rises, a slide, B, provided with plunger E, and an operatinglever, 0, connected with the slide and agitator, substantially as shown and described.

12. The herein-described implement, consisting of frame A, provided with a clamp, a stationary support for a cartridge-head, and a fixed anvil, a cap-reservoir arranged, substantially as shown, to deliver caps directly in front of the anvil, and provided with beveled spring retaining-jaws adapted to be separated by said anvil, a slide carrying a plunger adapted to enter a shell, and provided with a projecting pin to remove primers, a second plunger adapted to enter a shell and force it toward the anvil, and an ejector to expel shells from the implement, and a lever connected with the slide and serving to impart mot-ion thereto, substantially as set forth.

13. In an implement for recapping cartridgeshells, a cap-tube provided with a loop or bar at its lower end, to prevent the fall of caps therefrom, and with laterally-movable springjaws proj eeting over openings in the front and rear faces of the tube, to prevent the escape of caps except when the jaws are pressed apart, and mechanism, substantially as described, to force apart the spring-jaws.

14. In a machine for decapping and recapping cartridge-shells, a frame adapted to receive the shells in a single row, one resting upon or against another, and a slide arranged to move in said frame, and provided wit-h an ej eetor opposite the innermost or bottom shell, a recapping-plunger in line with the next shell, and a decapping-plunger in line with the third shell, substantially as shown and described, whereby the shells are adapted to fall by gravity to the respective plnngers and the ejector in proper succession.

15. In an implement for decapping and recapping cartridges, the combination ofa swinging cap-tube provided with beveled spring jaws, an anvil to separate said jaws, and an agitator arranged to enter the cap-tube, and provided with a beveled lug to act against the cap-tube and release itfrom the anvil, to which it is held by the spring-jaws.

HENRY T. HAZARD. \Vitn esses:

JAs. R. Townsnxn, HENRY T. GAGE.

IIO 

